Christmas in Maryland!

My sister Anne and her cute family invited us out to Maryland for the holidays! Here are some highlights from our trip....

Christmas Pageant

Miriam (age 3) being the angel, and Pete a shepherd

The nativity

Christmas Morning

Miriam singlehandedly ate everybody’s stocking candy

Opening my presents….a new skirt! Perfect!

My niece Hannah (age 6) showing me her new treasures.

Washington DC

Walking with the kids at the Smithsonian

Lincoln Memorial

Washington Memorial

My sister Anne and I after church

Sorry about the picture overload. We had a wonderful time and it was so nice to see family that we don’t get to see very often. We were also glad to slip in one more big trip before the baby comes. Thanks again Anne and Mike!!

Update!

Confession… Pete and I had been stealing internet for the last year…so sue us. Then one day we couldn’t steal it anymore. I don’t know what happened. So we talked and decided that maybe we should just suck it up and pay for internet (we justified this because we just switched from sprint to tmobile …and are saving $20 on our phone bill every month….amazing!!)

So we call to get internet set up…and the day it’s supposed to come my adorable nephew pulls my laptop off the table and it lands on its side. So now the charger cord has a shortage and you pretty much have to hold it in there and wiggle it around for it to charge.

Well then Quest ended up being big liars and we canceled with them before we even started… so a few days later we signed up through our apartment complex. Then the internet still wouldn’t work for another week…

Long story a little short- 3 weeks later, I finally have MY OWN internet and I have a new charger in the mail …but as of right now I am trying to type while holding and wiggling the cord into my computer…

I will admit …in the last 3 weeks that I haven’t had a computer my house has been more clean, I’ve cooked more meals, and I’ve read my scriptures more consistently. Wow- maybe I should just get rid of this thing.

But A LOT has gone on in the last 3 weeks… I have 6 month pictures which are kinda pointless now because next week I will be posting 7 month pictures! Dang…time FLIES!

6 months! (27 weeks)

We set up Christmas

We had a great time at Pete’s Christmas work Party

My Dad turned 60 and we had a party

We had the annual Ackerman Family Christmas Party….

Yes…the grand finale of the entertainment consisted of Germans, Jews, Hitler, and Santa Clause… Don't ask

Pillow Makeover

I got a sewing machine for Christmas in 2005 and I used it for my first time yesterday! I made new pillow covers. Here is a before and after picture.

Hopefully I can keep improving my domestic skills. I want to make a few things for my babies room...

Anyway...Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Karen

It is my sister’s birthday today so I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you how great she is.

I’m very convinced we got to choose our siblings in heaven because my sisters are my very best friends. I also know it was important for Karen to be 10 years older than me (sorry to disclose your age Karen) so should she help me every step of the way while I was growing up.

It is crazy how much Karen and I’s relationship has changed over the years. She actually watched me be born (strange I know) and then babysat me and changed my poppy diapers.
She moved out of the house when I was only 7. Every time she would come home to visit I remember running out to the car to meet her yelling “Karen!” and giving her a big hug. Sometimes she would let me stay the night at her college apartment. Those were some of my favorite memories.

When I was 14 she lived in Michigan and invited me to come stay with her for a week during the summer. We had so much fun shopping, going to amusement parks and baseball games. After that we became buddies. I would always call her and tell her my friend and boy issues or ask her for help with my homework. Karen seemed to always know exactly what to say and have all the answers. As I grew up we talked more and more. She was so sweet to always drive down to Manti for my dance performances, talent shows, and pageants. She even helped me choreograph my Miss Utah talent.

When I was in college she was on speed dial for relationship and homework questions. When I first got married she helped us with our home loan, finances, decorating, insurance, taxes…on and on. She always has the best answers and a solution for every problem.

Now we only live 10 mins away from eachother. We rarely go a day without e-mailing, calling, texting….or all three. We are inseparable.

As you know she was the person that inspired me to start running. From October 08-June 09 we were running together 3 or 4 times a week. I hope we can do that again even after life gets crazy because those memories are priceless. By the end of our training our runs would be up to two hours and we would just talk and talk about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.

I have learned so much from Karen and I look up to her more than she will ever know. Although our relationship has drastically changed over the years, one thing has stayed the same…I idolize the girl.

Sunday night I was very sick and I barely got any sleep but starting at 7:30 am Monday morning I had both my buddies (age 3 and 1) to watch. I was still feeling and sick and extremely tired so I was really struggling. I called Karen and she came right over and watched the boys for me while I took a nap. Can you believe that- what a life saver!

When Pete and I were first married we invited Karen and her husband down to visit. While in cedar they went to the grocery store and came home with bags and bags of groceries for Pete and I.... we were overwhelmed with gratitude.

I could go on and on with stories of times Karen and so selflessly served me without blinking. I am so lucky to have her has my sister and my best friend.

Thanks Karen!! I love you!

The journey of life.....

So as some of you know, I’m a pretty avid journal writer. I have to thank my mother for this. She bought each of us a journal at age 7 and encouraged us to write it in every Sunday after church. My favorite thing about being a journal writer is looking back at old entries to see what I was doing a year ago today….or two years ago…or 5…or 10!

Caution: Another long boring entry written for myself not for entertaining purposes
of others.

2004-5 years ago my November entry was about drill team practices every day until late at night, fighting with my mom, and juicy details about the weekend dates I had gone on. The joys of being 16……

2005-4 years ago my November entry was about my senior ball date, keeping up in my college classes, choreographing and teaching an entire show choir dance in one week, and my first Miss Utah meeting. The joys of my busy senior year….

2006-3 years ago my entry was about my relationship with my “new boyfriend” Pete and it reads “ I’m so young and clueless. I just want to have fun. But is that wasting Pete’s time? Ahhh! What do I do?” The joys of the confusing dating life….

2007-2 years ago my entry is about our amazing honeymoon and how perfect married life is. It reads “…a couple more days until our one month anniversary!” The joys of being newlywed…

2008-1 year ago my entry was about moving into a new apartment (our 5th move in our one year of marriage), a new ward, new jobs for both Pete and I, and having my dear Grandma pass away. The joys of trying to figure life out after graduation…

2009-And then here I am today…25 weeks pregnant....more in love than I ever thought possible and loving life. My entry’s are about feeling the baby move, young women lessons and activities, and fun things Pete and I have been doing on the weekends.

Soon I’ll look back at this 2009 entry and think….wow…the joys of not having any kids and being pregnant for the first time.
Time goes by so fast and I’ve grown up so fast…too fast maybe. It’s insane!!! I need to savor EVERY min of it. It reminds me of the amazing country song “you’re gonna miss this” If you haven’t heard it look it up right now. It makes me cry every time I hear it.

But am enjoying the journey of life… I’m trying to live every day to its fullest. I can’t wait to see what five more years will bring!

5k Turkey Trot!

I did it! I accomplished my goal. I ran the 5k Turkey Trot this weekend. I decided I would shoot for it to motivate me to keep up the exercise. It felt so great! For those of you that think it’s crazy and irresponsible to run while almost 6 months pregnant…don’t worry I was very careful. I read a lot about the risks and advantages and decided it was something I wanted to do. And when I say I “ran” the 5K I mean jogged so lightly that if you were speed walking you could easily keep up. Haha. I just wrapped up my belly and went for it! Now I need to think of a new goal to keep me motivated to exercise...any ideas?

It was a blast- both my sisters Karen and Mary joined me. It was Mary’s first 5k! YEAH MARY! I’m so proud of you! Her first and hopefully not her last!!I loved her company. After the race we went out for breakfast and had good old fun sister time.

Speaking of sisters…my beautiful sister-in-law Cec went through the temple this weekend!! She is leaving for her mission to Spain in February. It was so amazing for Pete and I to share the special day with her. She looked so beautiful! I love you Cec!! Congrats

Being Pregnant

Warning… this is a long post about my feelings on being pregnant. Don’t feel obligated to read it.

1. I figured out that I have thrown up between 50-60 times in the last 4 months
2. My body is changing in weird ways and I know it will never be the same again
3. I can’t sit for longer than 20 mins without feeling like my tail bone is broken
4. I haven’t made it through the night without having to get up to use the bathroom for 4 months
5. I buy clothes now that I will “grow into”. I haven’t done that since the 6th grade… it’s not a great feeling
6.If I go without a nap during the day I am not the most pleasant person to be around

And the best part is….I’m in the “honeymoon period” right now- it’s only going to get more intense.

But guess what I decided….I LOVE being pregnant. I LOVE IT! I would go through it over and over again…..bring on the pain. I love knowing there is a special little spirit inside me growing. I LOVE feeling her move and kick. I love knowing that I am going to be her Mommy and I’m the ONLY person in the world that will have that title for this sweet little girl.

I’m also so lucky to have a husband that is as excited as I am. A husband that tells I’m beautiful when I need to hear it the most… when I’m feeling fat and nasty in everything I own. A husband that holds my hair back when I throw up and then gets me a glass of water. A husband that continually asks me “what can I do for you?”, even if it’s 2:00 in the morning. A husband that will kiss my tummy when I wake up to tell the baby good morning and tell her he can’t wait to meet her…

This all sounds so sappy I know…but my heart is so full and I had to share my feelings…

In cunclusion I dicided to share a cheesy poem I wrote a while back when I first could feel the baby move-

-In my tummy-
Why is it you move in my tummy?
Is it you laughing when daddy is funny?

Or do you move in excitement to meet me?
You’re primping and prepping so you’ll be ready to great me

Or maybe when I feel you wiggle
It’s you inside giving a giggle
Listening to mommy talk about you
Dreaming and planning of the things that you’ll do

Why is it you move in my tummy?
Do you jump with joy when I eat something yummy?

Or are you busy talking to people above?
You’re still learning about life from people we love.

Or maybe you just like it in there
You dance and play without a care
Whatever it is, sweet little one
I hope you’re having a lot of fun

The end

Ward Halloween party

Tonight was our ward Halloween party. The youth were in charge of the carnival activities so Pete and I were busy helping with the fishing pond and the spoke alley. I dressed up as a Zebra (we forgot to get pictures) …and Pete was the one and only wolverine…

Hott right?

23 weeks and growing...

I've made it...5 months!

Two year anniversary!!

It’s official! We’ve been married for two years!! It’s crazy to think all of the things we’ve accomplished and all the fun things we’ve been able to do...yet it went by so fast! I can’t wait for an eternity of more fun times!!!

We had the most amazing anniversary! I will spare you all the details, but the main point is Pete got work off and we spent all weekend hanging out in Park City and Midway. It was so romantic. On Sunday we went up the canyon with our cute friends Jack and Sarah and took some family pics in the fall leaves.

Warning: Picture overload…

Happy anniversary Pete!!

I’m a cheap-wad rambling…..

Confession… I am cheep. I hate spending money for anything unimportant (which most things go in that category for me)

Example…
I swear to you…I have NEVER in my life spent more than $25 for a pair of jeans.
Usually I spend in the 10-15$ range… where you ask? I find the deals everywhere I go…
(Including the most adorable maternity pants I bought last week….for $12)

Why buy anything for full price?

But guess what….Pete is cheap too…so we make a perfect match.

Yes….this is my phone I’m using right now because I’m waiting for my contract to expire and I can get a new one for FREE. (Okay this picture I got off the internet..mine is NOT in this good of condition. It is the phone Pete used right off his mission until last summer…you can’t see any of the numbers on the buttons any more)

Yes….the T.V you see in the back ground on my previous post is the only tv we own…a little small..but it does the trick.

Yes…we are sharing a car and sometimes it bites the big one..but we make it work! And if I’m home all day I’m not spending gas money, money to eat out, and random shopping sprees… so it really saves more than you’d ever know.

And yes….I got
*one pair of newborn pj’s
*5 newborn onesies
*1 pair of new born pants
*2 newborn jackets
*A headband
*A 0-3 month church dress
*A carseat cover
*A baby swing
For……..$26!!!! Yes…I know…amazing!
Not to mention the free nursing cover I got off the internet yesterday…I just had to pay for shipping…. (ask me if you want more details)

I can’t take all of the credit though…thank you Susan for always calling me when there is a baby sale..and for Janelle who told me about the nursing covers..

And yes...I plan on staying this way even after Pete and I are high rollin millionaires... (which will probably happen sometime next week!)

the end

Happy Columbus day!

Okay- first of all…I have to make it clear that I don’t claim to run my own daycare. I said “Bekah’s Daycare” because it was a sarcastic comment I had made in a previous post. Really it started with just my nephew and I but I have added and subtracted a few kids over the last 9 months. I claim to be a “nanny” but really I just babysit for a living...and I’m not embarrassed to say it because I LOVE IT!!


Anyway….Happy Columbus Day!!

It's a Girl!!!!

…and we are shocked! We’ve been calling it “he” and “him” for the last 3 months now! We both were sure it was a boy. Crazy how that happens…but we cannot wait to meet our little princess!!!!

3...2...1..

I'm still running "Bekah's Daycare" and I’m loving it more than ever. I had to post some pictures of yesterday. I ended up with a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and of course my nephew that's almost 1...all boys. We had so much fun!

Pete came home for lunch before he knew the craziness going on but was so sweet to stay and play. We drew pictures, played games and played with bubbles. Here are some cute pics.

P.S- Five more days until we find out the gender! We can't wait!!

Brad Paisley- 5th Row

Pete and I LOVE Brad Paisley so for our two year anniversary (which isn't for a couple more weeks) I surprised Pete with tickets. I had them for over a month and I kept it a secret until the morning of!


Dierks Bentley opened which was amazing...and then of course Brad. Gatta love Brad Paisley. I told him I had tickets that morning but I didn't tell him where are seats were. We got there and kept walking closer and closer to the front. We were on the 5th row kinda on the side...so when he walked on the side stage we were only a few feet away.

We loved every minute of the show! It turned out to be the perfect night.

17 weeks and growing...

Here it is....I toke my adorable cousin Janelle's advice and decided to keep pictures of my belly growing. It will be fun to look back at. I swear it's a just a little bit bigger every morning when I wake up...craziness!

Good old Manti

Well we didn’t find out the gender last weekend but we still had a fun weekend in Manti.

We….

Went to my friend Candalyns baby shower and I saw old high school friends I haven’t seen forever!

Pete golfed at palisades. It was such a beautiful course and Pete ended up golfing a 39 on the back 9. I was so impressed!

We hung out with my cute parents….

And of course we got an ultrasound. It was amazing! My baby is developing so much! It was sucking it’s thumb, hiccuping, flipping around, yawning….SO ADORABLE! But…we couldn’t tell the gender so we’ll have to wait to October 6th.

Boy or Girl? Cast your vote

My father is a family practice doctor in Manti. This has been a major blessing throughout my whole life. It’s so nice to have somebody at the house (or over the phone) to give you a diagnoses and be able to write you up a prescription. I love my dad-


Anyway- Pete and I are headed down to Manti this weekend for my friends baby shower and I had this brilliant idea. My dad can give me an ultrasound so my parents can see my cute baby! Perfect right? Plus- there is a small chance we may be able to find out what it is!!

I can’t get my hopes up too much…because if we don’t find out it may be another month before my doctor gives me an ultrasound. But it’s worth a shot!


So..everybody…what is it going to be?

I have 4 nephews and 9 nieces. So it has to be a boy right? Statistically it just makes more since..it’s time for another boy. Of Course Pete is leaning in that direction….
But I don’t love too many boy names and I have a billion cute girl names picked out already. Hmm….what do we think?

Cast your vote

My “Dinner Baby” and the first sign of movement!

So the time has come…my belly is starting to poke out. It’s what my mother-in-law calls a “dinner baby”. You know when you’ve had a big dinner and you can stick out your belly and make jokes about how you look pregnant? Yeah…well that’s what I look like all the time. I still haven’t gained any weight and my pants still fit fine (probably due to the major 9 week puking fest) ..but I do look a little pudgy around the belly area.

I thought about posting a picture…but the wonderful hormones of pregnancy have also caused me to break out big time. It’s been very humbling….and I’m much too prideful to show you pictures of zitty Bekah.

Although I’m prideful..I’m also very happy to be zitty Bekah because it means there is a baby on the way!!! Seeing my stomach has made it seem a little more real! I’m going to be a mommy!!!

Also, I think I have felt the baby move!! I first felt something Monday night but I wasn’t too sure if it was it. Tuesday night I forgot to eat dinner and felt the same thing over and over again as I walked through the grocery store. I think it was my baby telling me it’s hungry! Either that or I had gas….. hmmm

Yeah baby! 171 more days!

(ps- I went to find a picture of a 16 week fetus to show you how big it is…and I ran into lots of disturbing pictures of miscarried babies at 16 weeks….sad! I need to remember to count my blessing!)

Life Lessons I’m still learning

When everything in your life seems to be going perfect- buckle up- you’re in for a treat

The quicker you forgive, the quicker your heart can heal

You don’t have to be perfect- just as long as you’re striving for it everyday

In the eternal perspective- as long as the big guy thinks you’re cool…nothing else matters

Heartache is the worst pain- I would take any kind of pain before it

Being offended is a choice

Family relationships are the most important- prioritize your life that way

The primary song is right…the scriptures really do give you power

There is nothing sweeter than a child’s love

Although eternity is a long time…don’t take for granite even one min with your spouse

Don’t spend too much time planning the future or looking back at the past- enjoy life as it goes

It’s okay to give others serving opportunities - if you need help- ask

There is something to learn from EVERYBODY. Don’t let pride let you miss the opportunity to
find out what it is

The smaller you make yourself in this world- the bigger it becomes

There isn’t enough time in this life to be sad- put on a smile and fight back against the hard times

Don’t go a day without serving somebody you love

Your Father in Heaven is holding your hand EVERY step along the way- let him guide you

The end

3 years ago today....

(First picture of Pete and I ever taken. Sept 2006)

That’s right…3 years ago I was innocently walking home from an institute activity with my new roommate Katelyn (3rd day of school….FRESHMAN YEAR) when I spotted an amazingly handsome foreign looking man (Pete) playing catch with his buddy. I flashed him a smile and went on my way. Moments later I was approached by another kid and I stopped to talk. Out of nowhere…a football comes flying by and Pete runs over…interrupts me giving this other kid my phone number and introduces himself. He asks my roommate and I our names and then says to me “I just wanted you to know that I’ve seen you around campus and I think you’re a really pretty girl.” And then he was gone.

But don’t worry…there was an institute dance that night. Of course we danced…more than once…sparks flew ….no…it was more than sparks….it was a full on bonfire. I gave him my number and smiled the whole way home. My journal entry for that night says “I met a really cool boy at the dance tonight named Pete. I got this really weird feeling when we were talking like I was supposed to know him.”

And the rest is history!!! Chessy I know…. But love non the less!

I love you Pete!!! I’m so lucky I was at the right place at the right time! My life has been full of love and laughter for 3 years now!

Meet Ackerman Jr.

I don't know if you can tell...the top right is it's head (and cute face) and then you can see it's little spine down to it's cute little legs. It's 13 weeks developed so it's just a few days ahead of schedule. Just had to share!!

It's crazy to think that is inside of me! I can't feel it..I haven't gained any weight yet... but it's real! I have a picture to prove it!

It's true! We're having a baby!!

The truth comes out! Pete and I are having a baby on February 27th! We are so excited to start the next chapter of our life and become parents!

I'm also happy to be past my first trimester! I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the pregnancy will start to be a little more easy on me for awhile. I'm sure Pete is hoping for that too...he has been so patient with me for the last 2 months.

Sorry I don't have any pictures to post....my camera, phone, and vacuum all broke last week..lovely I know!

I still have a LONG time to wait....but I've made lists of goals I want to acomplish before the baby comes that will keep me busy and keep me feeling like I only have a short amount of time.

For example

* I want to read the BOM cover to cover again starting this week

*I'm working in the Young Womens right now and they encouraged all the leaders to work on their young womens award - so I'm taking the challenge! Hopefully in my value projects I can pick up some more handy skills that will help me be more prepared for motherhood.

I realize these are pretty ambitious goals ...espically because the last two months I've been lucky to get my laundry done and get showered before 5:00 pm.

Anyway! To sum it all up... we feel so blessed and we're so excited to be a family of 3!

The end

Update!

Wow- it’s been forever since I’ve updated my blog so I thought I would do a quick post and tell you that we are alive and we’ve been enjoying our summer!

I’ve been so bad at taking pictures for the last few weeks- so sorry there aren’t a lot.
But here are a few things we've been up to....

4th of July BBQ and Fireworks with the Ackermans

Watched my beautiful friend Kayla pass down the Miss Utah crown

Young Women’s Camp!

Young Men’s Trip River Rafting down the Colorado River

Sister Trip to Bryce Canyon for the ½ Marathon!

Ackerman Family Summer B-day Party!

My 5 Year old niece Hannah stayed with me for 3 days

Armstrong Family Summer B-day Party!

(All sevan of us kids...oldest to youngest. We're like the Brady Bunch or something...love it)

Family Reunion at Bear Lake
(Hopefully I’ll post some pics of that soon)